SB 516 — An Act amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for substance use overdose awareness, treatment and recovery support; establishing the Lifetime Recovery from Substance Use Grant Program; and providing for powers and duties of the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.

PRINTER'S NO.   479

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 516
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY ROBINSON, BARTOLOTTA, KANE, FONTANA, STEFANO,
        COSTA, PENNYCUICK, MILLER AND TARTAGLIONE, MARCH 25, 2025

     REFERRED TO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, MARCH 25, 2025


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, providing for substance use overdose
 3      awareness, treatment and recovery support; establishing the
 4      Lifetime Recovery from Substance Use Grant Program; and
 5      providing for powers and duties of the Department of Drug and
 6      Alcohol Programs.
 7      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 8   hereby enacts as follows:
 9      Section 1.    Title 35 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
10   Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:
11                                CHAPTER 52C
12                     SUBSTANCE USE OVERDOSE AWARENESS,
13                      TREATMENT AND RECOVERY SUPPORT
14   Subchapter
15      A.   Preliminary Provisions
16      B.   Opioid Overdose Awareness
17      C.   Lifetime Recovery from Substance Use Grant Program
18                               SUBCHAPTER A
19                          PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
20   Sec.
 1   52C01.   Scope of chapter.
 2   52C02.   Definitions.
 3   § 52C01.   Scope of chapter.
 4      This chapter relates to substance use and misuse treatment
 5   and support services.
 6   § 52C02.   Definitions.
 7      The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
 8   shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
 9   context clearly indicates otherwise:
10      "Alcohol."        The term includes "malt or brewed beverages" and
11   "liquor" as defined in section 102 of the act of April 12, 1951
12   (P.L.90, No.21), known as the Liquor Code.
13      "Applicant."
14            (1)   Any of the following:
15                  (i)    A recovery support provider.
16                  (ii)    A person that provides support and technical
17            assistance to a recovery support provider.
18            (2)   The term does not include an individual or a for-
19      profit entity.
20      "Commonwealth agency."       An executive agency or independent
21   agency as those terms are defined in 2 Pa.C.S. § 101 (relating
22   to definitions).
23      "Conspicuous location."       A location open to the public where
24   an individual is likely to see and read the poster developed
25   under section 52C12(a)(1) (relating to development of opioid
26   overdose awareness materials). The term includes a bathroom,
27   bulletin board, entrance, exit, hallway or lobby.
28      "Controlled substance."       As defined in section 2 of the act
29   of April 14, 1972 (P.L.233, No.64), known as The Controlled
30   Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act.

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 1      "Department."    The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs of
 2   the Commonwealth.
 3      "Metropolitan transportation authority."      An authority
 4   operating under 74 Pa.C.S. Ch. 17 (relating to metropolitan
 5   transportation authorities).
 6      "Municipality."    A county, city, borough, incorporated town
 7   or township.
 8      "Opioid antagonist."    A drug or device approved under 21
 9   U.S.C. Ch. 9 (relating to Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act)
10   for emergency reversal of known or suspected opioid overdose,
11   including naloxone hydrochloride or other similarly acting drugs
12   approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for
13   the treatment of an opioid overdose.
14      "Peer recovery specialist."     An individual with continuous
15   personal recovery from a substance use disorder who has received
16   substance use recovery-focused education and training in
17   recovery support services.
18      "Program."   The Lifetime Recovery from Substance Use Grant
19   Program established under section 52C42 (relating to Lifetime
20   Recovery from Substance Use Grant Program).
21      "Recipient."     An applicant that receives a grant under this
22   chapter.
23      "Recovery from substance use."       The process of change through
24   which an individual who had been engaging in substance use takes
25   steps to improve the individual's health and wellness, leads a
26   self-directed life and strives to reach the individual's own
27   potential.
28      "Recovery support provider."     Any of the following that
29   provide recovery support services to individuals, families and
30   communities in this Commonwealth:

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 1          (1)   A nonprofit organization.
 2          (2)   A hospital or other health care provider.
 3          (3)   A municipality.
 4          (4)   A single county authority created under the act of
 5      April 14, 1972 (P.L.221, No.63), known as the Pennsylvania
 6      Drug and Alcohol Abuse Control Act.
 7          (5)   A recovery house licensed under Subarticle (b) of
 8      Article XXIII-A of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177,
 9      No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929.
10      "Recovery support services."    Any of the following services
11   relating to an individual in recovery from substance use:
12          (1)   Providing a network of peer support provided by peer
13      recovery specialists for an individual in recovery from
14      substance use, including advocacy for individuals in recovery
15      from substance use.
16          (2)   Providing and supporting a network of family support
17      or community support for families and communities of those in
18      recovery from substance use.
19          (3)   Providing crisis intervention referrals for
20      individuals in recovery from substance use.
21          (4)   Assisting an individual in recovery from substance
22      use in gaining stable living arrangements, including
23      assisting the individual in identifying appropriate living
24      arrangements and preparing necessary paperwork.
25          (5)   Assisting an individual in recovery from substance
26      use in obtaining gainful employment, including providing a
27      skill evaluation and assisting the individual in identifying
28      employment opportunities.
29          (6)   Creating and maintaining the technical assistance
30      needs of workplaces that provide support for employees in

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 1      recovery from substance use.
 2             (7)   Providing mentoring service to an individual in
 3      recovery from substance use.
 4             (8)   Providing referrals, assistance or consultation for
 5      individuals in recovery from substance use in obtaining
 6      services under paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6) and
 7      (7).
 8      "Substance use."           The use or misuse of a controlled substance
 9   or alcohol.
10                                      SUBCHAPTER B
11                                OPIOID OVERDOSE AWARENESS
12   Sec.
13   52C11.    Scope of subchapter.
14   52C12.    Development of opioid overdose awareness materials.
15   § 52C11.    Scope of subchapter.
16      This subchapter relates to opioid overdose awareness.
17   § 52C12.    Development of opioid overdose awareness materials.
18      (a)     Opioid overdose awareness materials.--
19             (1)   The Department of Health, in collaboration with the
20      department, shall:
21                   (i)    Develop a poster that contains the following
22             information:
23                          (A)   The signs of an opioid-related overdose.
24                          (B)   What to do in the event of an opioid-related
25                   overdose.
26                          (C)   Where to find an opioid antagonist.
27                          (D)   Where to find additional resources and
28                   information, which may include a quick-response or QR
29                   code or a website URL.
30                   (ii)    Develop a pamphlet with information contained

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 1          on the poster developed under subparagraph (i).
 2                (iii)    Make the following available on the Department
 3          of Health's publicly accessible Internet website:
 4                       (A)   the poster developed under subparagraph (i);
 5                and
 6                       (B)   the pamphlet developed under subparagraph
 7                (ii).
 8                (iv)    Make the poster developed under subparagraph
 9          (i) available on the Department of Health's publicly
10          accessible Internet website in various sizes should an
11          entity wish to download the poster in a size other than
12          the one provided by the Department of Health.
13                (v)    Provide the poster developed under subparagraph
14          (i) in additional languages upon request by an entity
15          listed under subsection (b).
16                (vi)    Provide copies of the poster developed under
17          subparagraph (i) to each entity listed under subsection
18          (b) at no cost to the entity.
19          (2)   The Department of Health may satisfy the
20    requirements for the poster under paragraph (1)(i) and the
21    pamphlet under paragraph (1)(ii) by updating existing
22    materials with information described in paragraph (1)(i).
23    (b)   Display.--
24          (1)   Except as provided under paragraph (2), the
25    following entities shall display the poster developed under
26    subsection (a)(1)(i) in a conspicuous location at the
27    entities' properties, where feasible, as determined by the
28    entity in discussion with the Department of Health:
29                (i)    A Commonwealth agency.
30                (ii)    A metropolitan transportation authority.

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 1                  (iii)   A municipality.
 2            (2)   An entity listed under paragraph (1) shall not be
 3      required to display the poster described in subsection (a)(1)
 4      (i) if the entity already displays a poster with the
 5      information described in subsection (a)(1)(i) and provides
 6      the Department of Health with notice of the use of the
 7      alternative poster.
 8                                  SUBCHAPTER C
 9                             LIFETIME RECOVERY FROM
10                          SUBSTANCE USE GRANT PROGRAM
11   Sec.
12   52C41.   Scope of subchapter.
13   52C42.   Lifetime Recovery from Substance Use Grant Program.
14   52C43.   Application and review.
15   52C44.   Costs.
16   52C45.   Funding.
17   52C46.   Survey.
18   52C47.   Report.
19   § 52C41.    Scope of subchapter.
20      This subchapter relates to grants to support lifetime
21   recovery from substance use and misuse.
22   § 52C42.    Lifetime Recovery from Substance Use Grant Program.
23      (a)     Establishment.--The Lifetime Recovery from Substance Use
24   Grant Program is established within the department.
25      (b)     Purpose of program.--The program shall provide grants to
26   assist in the development, expansion or improvement of recovery
27   support services delivery in this Commonwealth.
28      (c)     Statewide and geographic balance.--The department shall
29   award a portion of the amount available under this subchapter to
30   applicants seeking grants on a Statewide basis and a portion of

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 1   the amount to each of the geographic areas of this Commonwealth
 2   designated under section 52C43(a)(2) (relating to application
 3   and review).
 4   § 52C43.    Application and review.
 5      (a)     Guidelines.--No later than 45 days after the effective
 6   date of this section and at the discretion of the department
 7   thereafter, the department shall, after consulting with a
 8   representative cross section of this Commonwealth's recovery
 9   support providers, including individuals in recovery from
10   substance use or family members of individuals in recovery from
11   substance use, adopt guidelines for the administration of the
12   grant program under this subchapter and shall make the
13   guidelines available on the department's publicly accessible
14   Internet website. The guidelines shall include the following:
15            (1)   The dates of the first and last day during which the
16      department will accept applications.
17            (2)   A division of this Commonwealth into nine geographic
18      areas. To the extent practicable, the geographic areas under
19      this paragraph shall be comparable to geographic areas
20      recognized by the department for similarly focused grants.
21            (3)   The standards by which an application will be
22      scored. The following apply:
23                  (i)    The standards adopted under this paragraph shall
24            be designed to ensure that the grants awarded under this
25            subchapter are used in the most effective manner across
26            this Commonwealth.
27                  (ii)    The standards adopted under this paragraph
28            shall prioritize:
29                         (A)   Applicants that are independent, nonprofit
30                  organizations led and governed by representatives of

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 1                    local communities of individuals in recovery from
 2                    substance use.
 3                           (B)   Applicants proposing to serve areas or
 4                    assist recovery support providers serving areas of
 5                    this Commonwealth with a high incidence of substance
 6                    use or that have demonstrated a need for additional
 7                    substance use recovery support services.
 8             (4)    Statistics to be used for determination of areas of
 9      this Commonwealth that have a high incidence of substance
10      use.
11      (b)    Application.--An application for a grant under this
12   subchapter shall be made on a form and in a manner required by
13   the department.
14      (c)    Content of application.--An application for a grant
15   under this subchapter shall include the following:
16             (1)    The name of the applicant.
17             (2)    Whether, if awarded a grant under this subchapter,
18      the applicant would use the grant as follows:
19                    (i)    on a Statewide basis; or
20                    (ii)    within a geographic area under subsection (a)
21             (2).
22             (3)    Subgrantees with which the applicant will contract
23      to provide substance use recovery support services.
24             (4)    Recovery support providers to which the applicant
25      intends to provide support and technical assistance.
26             (5)    Recovery support providers to which the applicant
27      intends to subgrant amounts received from the grant.
28             (6)    A proposed budget of what eligible costs will be
29      paid for with a grant.
30      (d)    Review of application.--Beginning after the last day

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 1   that the department accepts applications, the department shall
 2   review the applications in accordance with this section and the
 3   guidelines adopted under subsection (a).
 4      (e)     Awarding of grants.--After review of the applications
 5   under subsection (d), the department shall award grants as
 6   follows:
 7            (1)   For applicants seeking a grant under subsection (c)
 8      (2)(i), the department shall award grants to applicants whose
 9      applications received the highest scores among applicants
10      seeking a grant on a Statewide basis.
11            (2)   For applicants seeking a grant under subsection (c)
12      (2)(ii), the department shall award grants to applicants
13      whose applications received the highest scores among
14      applicants seeking a grant within each geographic area.
15      (f)     Denial of applicant information.--An applicant that is
16   not awarded a grant under subsection (e) shall be provided with
17   information documenting the overall score the applicant
18   received, the score received for each of the standards under
19   subsection (a)(3) and the overall scores of all applicants in
20   the denied applicant's category under subsection (c)(2).
21   § 52C44.    Costs.
22      An amount awarded as a grant under this subchapter may be
23   used for the following costs:
24            (1)   Costs associated with providing recovery support
25      services to residents of this Commonwealth.
26            (2)   Costs associated with assisting recovery support
27      providers with developing, expanding or improving recovery
28      support services, including providing training and
29      development of the tools and facilities necessary to provide
30      recovery support services.

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 1            (3)   Costs incurred by the recipient under section 52C46
 2      (relating to survey).
 3   § 52C45.    Funding.
 4      (a)     Appropriation.--The General Assembly may appropriate
 5   money to the department for the program.
 6      (b)     Funding from Opioid Settlement Restricted Account.--
 7            (1)   Money appropriated to the department from the Opioid
 8      Settlement Restricted Account may be used to make grants
 9      under this subchapter.
10            (2)   The department shall ensure that amounts under
11      paragraph (1) used for the program comply with restrictions
12      on the use of the money in the Opioid Settlement Restricted
13      Account.
14      (c)     Funding from State Opioid Response Administration
15   appropriation.--Federal money appropriated by the General
16   Assembly for State Opioid Response Administration may be used
17   for the purposes of this subchapter.
18   § 52C46.    Survey.
19      (a)     Performance of survey.--No less frequently than once per
20   year, a recipient shall perform a survey of individuals who
21   received recovery support services from the recipient during the
22   time period in which a recipient received a grant under this
23   subchapter.
24      (b)     Contents of survey.--Results of the survey may not
25   contain any personally identifiable information.
26      (c)     Voluntary participation.--Participation in the survey
27   under this section by an individual who received recovery
28   support services shall be voluntary.
29      (d)     Submission to department.--A recipient shall provide
30   information received under subsection (a) to the department in a

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 1   manner and form as requested by the department.
 2   § 52C47.    Report.
 3      (a)     Annual report.--No later than March 31, 2025, and March
 4   31 of each year thereafter, the department shall publish an
 5   annual report that includes the following:
 6            (1)   The name and address of each recipient.
 7            (2)   The amount awarded to each recipient for each fiscal
 8      year.
 9            (3)   The number of individuals who received recovery
10      support services from each recipient under paragraph (2) in
11      each fiscal year in which the recipient received a grant
12      under this subchapter.
13            (4)   A review of results of the surveys conducted under
14      section 52C46 (relating to survey), including the percentage
15      of individuals receiving services from the recipient who
16      remain in long-term recovery after six months, one year, two
17      years, five years and more than 10 years.
18      (b)     Prohibited content.--The report under this section may
19   not contain any personally identifiable information of an
20   individual who received recovery support from a recipient.
21      (c)     Submission of report.--The report under this section
22   shall be submitted to the following:
23            (1)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
24      Appropriations Committee of the Senate.
25            (2)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
26      Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives.
27            (3)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
28      Health and Human Services Committee of the Senate.
29            (4)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
30      Health Committee of the House of Representatives.

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1            (5)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
2      Human Services Committee of the House of Representatives.
3      (d)     Public availability.--The report shall be made available
4   to the public on the department's publicly accessible Internet
5   website.
6      Section 2.    This act shall take effect immediately.




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